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Politics

Kazakhstan's parties debated as teams for the first time, and no one printed the promises

Seven parties put up two speakers each on Jibek Joly on Wednesday night, in the first team debates Kazakhstan has held. Adilet took 60.6% of the viewer poll that closed with the broadcast. The round in which each party made one concrete pledge has not been reproduced by any outlet that covered it.

By CAW Staff13 August 2026
Kazakhstan's parties debated as teams for the first time, and no one printed the promises

The poll was run by the Kazakhstani Institute for Public Development at the channel's request, and asked which party speaker's presentation the viewer liked most. Adilet 60.6%, Auyl 15.1, Respublica 10.2, OSDP 3.9, Ak Zhol 3.5, the People's Party 3.3, Baytaq 2.7, with 0.7% saying nobody had impressed them.

Both outlets printed the caveat. Azattyq Ruhy put it plainly: the online poll's results do not reflect the level of electoral support for the parties.

Adilet had the lead at the mid-broadcast reading too, on 59.5% against Auyl's 14.4.

The format ran four rounds: two and a half minutes of programme analysis per party, 90 seconds for journalists' questions, two minutes of questions to opponents, then the pledge round, called Uade. Viewers sent questions by QR code and to a WhatsApp number. The speaking order matched the draw held on 11 August exactly.

We have no insiders and outsiders, only the law.

The theme was law and order as the foundation of a Just Kazakhstan.

Madi Myrzagarayev of Adilet: be honest and have nothing to fear, break the law and answer for it. His colleague Aizhan Aimaganova: we have no insiders and outsiders, only the law. Dinara Shukizhanova of Respublica said law and order have to be the same for everyone, and cited the inviolability of private property under the constitution that, as she put it, we all voted for.

Three exchanges had teeth. Larisa Li of the OSDP called a rival programme sheer demagoguery and sheer declarative words. Baytaq's Amalbek Omirtay pressed the People's Party on Lenin, and the round widened to Stalin and Goloshchyokin. Respublica put it to Ak Zhol that it had voted for raising fines on small and medium business by 8 to 11 times.

No published account carries a quote from either Ak Zhol speaker or either Auyl speaker. Auyl came second.

DalaNews put participation at 165,153 over roughly two hours. Its Kazakh wording does not separate broadcast viewers from poll participants.

The final debates are on 19 August. The vote is on 23 August, with 251 international observers accredited.

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